Arapiles Community Theatre

2003 Space and Place

The Frinj may have ended in 2002 through lack of momentum but after seeing a picture in a book of Shigeo Fukuda’s Lunch with Helmet On, and a conversation with Richard Smith, Greg joked to Jillian that he’d like to project a giant harvester onto the silo. This fitted in with what she had been thinking and a meeting was called of interested people. The Space and Place project was conceived. It included –

Interactive animations and projections by Dave Jones. He had recently created In my Day with the Natimuk Primary School and this was included in the show. There were Indigenous dancers and images, and live music. Mary French had created a number of shadow puppets with school’s workshops. Santha Press has worked with a local choir to create a beautiful score. The CFA and firetruck were involved. The highlight was probably the way in which the Yspace aerialists interacted with the projections.

In total there was close to 100 community members involved, from a community of 500. It has been described as “the perfect community arts project.”It also included the shadow sculpture, Combine-Nation by Greg Pritchard and Paul Hoskins.

School children supplied the theme, which was ‘disasters’.

The Vichealth funding for the Frinj that year was about $10000 which allowed for more music, film, art and events. The Frinj that year was directed by Shiree Pilkinton.

The first Hay and Thespian Mardigras really captured the town’s imagination, and has continue to amuse with the name that does describe the meeting of the Arapiles Community Theatre and the farming community.